Category: IOM TT - Manx Grand Prix

1. Carl Cox 'goes back to the Island' as Tim Reeves looks to add to his TT tally

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 7th Mar 2018

   Carl Cox Motorsport continue their support of seven time World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves and his passenger Mark Wilkes in his quest for glory at the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.
   
   World renowned DJ Cox, who is a big fan of the TT, attended the event last year, supporting both Reeves and the unique solo talent of Michael Dunlop. For this season he is stepping up his support of the Reeves/Wilkes duo with the purchase of a new LCR sidecar outfit.
   
   Tim took his last Isle of Man TT win back in 2013, so the determined Kentish racer is fired up to add to his collection of silver statues. Last season Tim and brother Tristan dominated the British F1 Sidecar Championship, with a 100% win record but things didn’t go their way around the Mountain Course. Sidecar Race 1 saw an intermittent fuel pump fault leaving them in fifth and in Race 2 an electrical sensor failed, resulting in a retirement, just as they were gaining on the leader.
   
   Wilkes did, however, receive the Dave Wells Trophy, awarded to the best newcomer passenger, for his fifth place in Race 1 while a lap of 114.793mph was the fastest ever recorded by a passenger making his debut on the Mountain Course.
   
   Carl invited Tim to race at the prestigious Philip Island Classic event just before Christmas and cemented a deal for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races. Entered as ‘Carl Cox Motorsport Powered by H&S Contractors’, the pairing from Kent are due to receive their outfit on Thursday this week and will immediately be going testing in France.
   
   Tim Reeves explained:
   
   “We’ve got to hand it to Carl, every year he steps up with a serious level of support and he’s such a great guy to have involved with the sport, for everyone within the Sidecar community. With so much short circuit success I feel it’s our time to notch up some TT victories; we’ve done the ‘knowledge’ there, so there’s no reason why we can’t with such a strong package and support. It would be great if we can do it for Mark as well. He really deserves some success on three wheels. We’re also thankful to have the continued support of Neil Pallet of H&S Contractors who is staying on board as well…. So let’s get this season started!”
   
   Carl Cox commented:
   
   “I love sidecars and have great respect for the Isle of Man so it’s awesome to combine the two, with support for Tim and Mark for this season at the TT. Tim decimated the field in the British Championship last year but I know he wants to stand on the top step at the Isle of Man TT again too. With any luck I can get out there again to cheer these guys on as they give it their best shot.”

2. Michael Jackson prepares for Isle of Man TT Races debut in 2018

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 20th Feb 2018

   One of the Isle of Man’s leading sidecar drivers, Michael Jackson, will make his debut at the Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, this year, with the Manxman contesting the two Sidecar races.
   
   Joined by passenger Harry Payne, Jackson, who won the 2017 ACU British Formula Two Sidecar Cup, will compete in the two three-lap races on a newly acquired DMR chassis built by 17-time TT winner and fellow Manxman Dave Molyneux. The outfit will use a 600cc GSXR Suzuki engine.
   
   Having secured the Wirral 100 Championship in 2016, Jackson and his MJR team made a huge impression on the British F2 Sidecar Championship last year. With Callum Crowe in the chair, Jackson won the Cup competition by a comfortable 66 points having done the double at Donington Park, Anglesey and Cadwell Park with another victory, his seventh in total, being taken at the final round of the season.
   
   In total, Jackson stood on the podium nine times during the 14-race campaign and only failed to finish once all season. And as well as winning the Cup, the former trials rider finished seventh overall in the main F2 British Championship where he was only beaten by Pete Founds, Steve Ramsden, Conrad Harrison, Lee Crawford, John Lowther and Sean Hegarty.
   
   His reliability and consistency was key to his and Crowe’s overall success, which is sure to pay dividends on his first appearance on the 37.73-mile Mountain Course. Payne, meanwhile, has scored strong results at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and was originally lined up to partner Molyneux at last year’s TT before he opted for multiple winner Dan Sayle instead.
   
   With strong results behind them, Jackson and Payne are the latest high profile sidecar pairing to make their TT debuts with the duo certainly having the potential to secure top twenty finishes in both races.

3. TR3OC to celebrate triple motorcycles 50th anniversary at 2018 Isle of Man Classic TT Races

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 16th Feb 2018

   The Trident & Rocket 3 Owners Club (TR3OC) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic Triumph and BSA triple motorcycles at the 2018 Classic TT Races presented by Bennetts. TR3OC is organising a spectacular display of both road and racing triples together with associated memorabilia.

   Tridents are the most successful production racer ever at the TT, winning five consecutive production classes on the Island.

   Visitors to the Isle of Man during the Classic TT will be able to see a comprehensive collection of motorcycles including the rebuilt ‘Slippery Sam' courtesy of the National Motorcycle Museum as well as the first Triumph Trident to be raced around the famous Mountain course in 1969 - the Hughes Triumph that was ridden by Martin Carney.

   A dozen more notable race bikes will also be displayed as well as a selection of artist John Hancox’s pen and ink drawings. John is a Technical Illustrator whose work can be seen every time a Triumph Trident's parts manual is opened.

   Along with the racing legends, the display will feature a definitive collection of road bikes. Starting with a 1969 Aquamarine T150 together with UK and US examples of various bikes, including Hurricane, Rocket 3s T150Vs and T160s.

   The Trident model that completed a 24 hour sponsored ride around the TT Course for the Manx Grand Prix Helicopter Fund will be on show together with the obligatory collecting buckets as well as a replica Travelling Marshal’s Trident and an original Marshal's bike that was ridden by Travelling Marshal Des Evans. The Martin Russell Parallelogram will also be on display.

   There will be a closed road parade around the TT Course on Saturday 25th August with many of the display bikes taking part. The lap will see Des Evans reunited with his Travelling Marshal’s Trident for a lap of the 37 ¾ miles while Ian Martin - TT star Guy’s father - will be riding his BSA Rocket 3.

   On the morning of Sunday, 26th August, the display will temporarily de-camp to Jurby Motodrome where the Vintage Motorcycle Club’s Isle of Man section host their annual Festival of Jurby event. Visitors will have the opportunity to see the world’s greatest display of Vintage and Classic motorcycles - not only on their paddock stands but also spreading the instantly recognisable aroma of Castrol R on the Jurby racetrack.
   
   Commenting on the anniversary TR3OC event co-ordinator Ian Bradshaw said:

   “None of the above would have been possible had it not been for the input of the Isle of Man Government, Department for Enterprise’s Motorsport Team and the Isle of Man section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club as well as everyone who has allowed their bikes and memorabilia to be displayed. I hope everyone interested in Motorcycles takes the opportunity to enjoy what is the display of a lifetime.”

4. Official 2018 Isle of Man TT Races launch set for 21st March

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 10th Feb 2018

   The Official Launch of the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy will take place on Wednesday 21^st March at the Villa Marina.
   
   The most famous names in TT racing will be in attendance at the event to talk about their preparations and ambitions ahead of the 2018 event.
   
   The star studded evening will see the latest news on all of the action on track announced, as well as details of new additions to the off track schedule. All of which will be set against a backdrop of some of the amazing machines being ridden this year along with the iconic TT trophies and a non -stop collection of awe inspiring TT video clips.
   
   Doors open at 7.00pm for a 730pm start with tickets priced at £5 available from the Villa Marina box office at www.villagaiety.com
   
   If you can’t be on the Island, you will be able to watch the proceedings live via the Official Isle of Man TT Races website - iomtt.com

    

   

5. Norton signs John McGuinness for 2018 Isle of Man TT Races

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 8th Feb 2018

   23-time TT Race winner John McGuinness has signed to ride for the Norton factory team in the RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT Races at the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy. 
   
   McGuinness joins 2015 British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes in a two-man team using the latest specification Norton ‘SG7’ machines, derived from the firm’s flagship V4 RR road bike.
   
   McGuinness last won a Superbike class race in 2015, winning the PokerStars Senior TT, which also saw him breaking the outright lap record with a lap of 132.701, which remains his fastest lap around the Mountain Course. He achieved podiums in both the 2016 RST Superbike and PokerStars Senior TT but missed last year’s TT race meeting due to serious injuries sustained in the North West 200, which he is still recovering from. However, he expects to be back to full fitness in time for his TT debut with Norton this June.
   
   McGuinness has enjoyed a remarkable TT career and is second only to Joey Dunlop in outright TT victories and is rightly considered as one of the all-time TT greats.  In a career that has now stretched over twenty years, he first announced himself to the road-racing world in 1996, finishing the highest placed and fastest newcomer in the 250cc TT Race and his name has since become synonymous with the Isle of Man Mountain Course.
   
   He has stood on the Isle of Man TT podium a record 46 times from 78 race finishes and is confident that more success is just around the corner now he has teamed up with this iconic British brand.
   
   Talking about the news of his Norton signing John McGuinness commented:
   
   “I didn’t want to end my career due to an injury, but the truth is I didn’t know whether I would be able to come back as I didn’t know how fit I was going to be. Right now, things are going well. I feel a lot sharper and my head is in gear and ready to go. The plan is to get the external fixator cage off my leg by the end of this month and after that we can start working towards getting bike fit and testing.”  
   
   “I’m definitely ready for a change of manufacturer. I needed an injection of enthusiasm and I’ve found it with Norton. From the first time I met with Stuart (Garner) the vibe was there and the passion. I watched Steve Hislop win the TT on the Norton in 1992 and it was massive. Everyone remembers that! We can’t get carried away, it’s going to be a big job but I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos of the bike in action, I watched the bike out on track last year and it’s clearly a very fast and capable bike and I can tell you there are worse handling bikes out there too, so there’s no reason we can’t do the business if the stars line up right.”
   
   Norton Motorcycles CEO Stuart Garner added:
   
   “We’ve been talking to John for a year or more, he’s the talent. He’s the man at the TT with the total experience, the results and the pedigree. We have the ambition to win the TT and to go on to develop a really strong team in years to come. We’d got John in our sights for a long time.”
   
   “To get John in the Norton team with his experience and knowledge available is fabulous.  Norton will seize the opportunity to get John involved in all aspects of the bike – he’s a huge asset to Norton. Everyone in the factory has got a huge buzz. It’s pretty special.  We’re all looking forward to the TT but we’ve not set any targets and take nothing for granted. Putting John McGuiness and Norton together is a dream team, but we know all results at the TT are hard earned whatever your name.”